Strength
by Grummur
Summary: True strength didn't come from hatred, misery or spite. It came from something deeper. A drabble on promises kept and lessons learned.


**Strength**

* * *

"Sasuke…"

The name is an utterance…a whisper…but here in this forlorn place, it finds his ears and makes his blood boil. He is so close, so terribly near to reaching his heart's desire. He can _taste _his vengeance on the wind. The hour is drawing near. All that stands between him and those he is sworn to destroy is this one last obstacle. This one final fool, still caught up in ancient history.

"Idiot…"

Where one moment the last Uchiha stood, now he has vanished. Before his foe is given time to react he reappears, delivering a savage blow that sends tremors through the very ground they tread upon.

"Failure." He grunts, "Give it up."

Slowly, as if under a great burden, his opponent's head lifts. His eye—for one is lost from view, probably ruined or removed altogether by the glancing strike of a Katana—is scarlet, an inhuman slit of a pupil peers out at him from a battered, bloody face. His jaw is clenched as rage, hurt and frustration battle for dominance of his heart. Again he speaks, though this time it is not so much a murmur as a growl.

"No."

It is Sasuke's turn to grit his teeth. Can this idiot not see? Is he so blinded by his stubborn pride and foolhardy nature to realize? Sasuke is an avenger. Nothing will stand in the way of his goal. The Serpent could not, his own brother could not, how can this pathetic excuse for a ninja expect to fare better? Konoha will pay for its lying, deceitful nature, he will see to that, and should this boy attempt to dissuade him…well…he shall just have to pay as well.

"Get out of my way, or…" His hands flash through familiar seals. "…I'll kill you." The muted chirping of a thousand birds can be heard above the rush of the waterfall. The reflection of a battered young shinobi takes it's stance on the rippling water. "You're wasting your time." The Uchiha's grimace deepens. Why is _he_ smiling? Doesn't he fear death? "You can't win here, this fight is over." He charges, lightning-touched fingers reaching out for the others' beating heart.

"_Your hate isn't strong enough!"_

A thousand birds chirp angrily against the dull roar of an orb of pure power. It glows a murky red, the color of foxfire. Through the mud and caked blood, he is once again wearing that infuriating grin.

_Deja vous, _he thinks, chuckling mirthlessly to himself. He is so very, very tired. His body aches, his Chakra gone long ago, he relies now on what little he can take from the menace within him without being overcome by it's will. Long ago, in a much different world when they were different people, they had come to this before. A young Sasuke, overcome by grief and rage and lust for power, had at the last moment remembered their friendship, and spared his life by inches. Should he give in now, he is almost certain that small act of mercy will not be repeated. Still, a promise is a promise, and Naruto is not one to go back on his word.

They struggle against one another, mind, body and soul. Their teeth clenched, the violent power in each man's grip taxing heavily on already waning fortitudes. The Seventh can feel his grip slowly slipping as the muscles in his body threaten to come loose from their tethers. Though overcome by pain and teetering on sanity's edge…that smile refuses to back down.

Of late, Uzumaki Naruto has become a man of few words. What little he says however, he means, and he's never made a promise he hasn't intended to keep. Despite his aims to prove himself, to him; a man of uncompromising loyalty and honestly, he could become Hokage, defeat the Akatsuki, and become the world's most powerful Ninja…and all would be for naught, when at the end of the day he couldn't stand in front of the mirror and look himself in the eyes. The man staring back at him would forever be a liar and a farce, incapable of truly protecting those he loves. It will not be tolerated. Failure is no longer a luxury he can afford.

Bearing this in mind, despite being terribly conscious of his body's active breakdown, he pushes harder. The ground beneath them begins to give way as dust and pebbles drift lazily upward on drafts of pure chakra. The malicious being inside him is momentarily distracted from it's assault on his consciousness, now focusing entirely on salvaging what it can of his swiftly unraveling internals. With a newfound purity of thought, Naruto's resolve finds new strength somewhere between the agony and despair. That little ray of sunlight through the clouds warms his stubborn heart, and the fragile little hope he has sought finds it's way into his desperate grasp.

Amidst the chaos, a single thought crystallizes.

_Sasuke…_

_You are wrong._

This is it, and he knows it. There is sadness in his heart, for the pain he must bring upon his precious ones, but still he bears no regrets. He is miles away now from that lonely place at the end of the world, and he finds himself embarrassed at the clumsy trail he has left for all to see. How very un-ninja-like, he thinks, but it cannot not be helped. The burden he carries is heavy, and he is weak. Too weak to be careful, and much too tired to mask the blood he tracks with every labored step. The great gates of the village hidden in the Leaf loom into view, surrounded by the scaffolding of a land being born anew. He smiles as the last of his strength leaves him. It is a tired, but relieved smile. Not the burdened, stubborn grin borne of failure, misery and hardship, but a genuine, light-hearted smile. His promise kept, at long last he may rest.

The fog closes in on the outskirts of his vision as he gazes down upon the fallen ninja next to him. It's strange how a man so full of turmoil and resentment can look so peaceful. He wonders if he'll ever forgive him. He hopes so. He hopes the last Uchiha will learn from him, learn why he did what he did, and what it means to be truly strong. Because Uchiha Sasuke was wrong about one thing, of this Naruto was sure. His body is impossibly heavy, slumped here against the great entrance of his village, so close to the people that matter most.

He rests a hand on the unconscious avenger's shoulder as his life leaves him finally, the Leaf village Medical nin appearing on scene attempting uselessly to save his battered form. He knows it's futile, but he appreciates the gesture. He died miles away, in a lonesome valley at the end of the world. Sheer willpower and refusal to yield is all that carried him this far. His time is up, but knowing what he does, he feels he can pass peacefully.

He smiles again, bowing his head as his heart lifts skyward, his mind returning to the one thought that saved him in the valley of the end. Sasuke was wrong. No matter how much black hatred filled a man's heart, he could never find true strength, because while hate was a powerful force, it was selfish, and a man who fought only for himself could never be strong. No. True strength comes not from hatred, misery or spite. It comes from something deeper, more powerful.

Love. True strength comes from courage, and selflessness, and all the things that drive a man to be better, not for himself, but so that he may better protect the ones he holds dear. The inability to quit, the refusal to compromise even in the face of death, not out of some misplaced drive for vengeance, but because there are people who matter depending on him to succeed.

She is there now, kneeling at his side, tears pouring from the green eyes he so adores. He hates to see her so sad, but he made her a promise. The words are barely a whisper as they escape his throat, bringing all the world to a standstill.

"Don't…"

She leans in close, a hand at his bloodied cheek as she hears the dying man's last request.

"…Don't be…too hard…on him."

His mouth struggles to form the words, but no strength can be found to make them audible. Instead he thinks as hard as he can, thinks that one final thought and hopes she will understand like she always has.

_He will learn._

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Another one-shot from the legendary wordsmith, yours truly. I hope you enjoy it, and in doing so feel the urge to read the rest of my pieces. Most of my other stories are of similar quality, so if you like this, you'll like them all.

My sole request is that you review what you read. After all, you and you alone are the reason I continue to write.


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